Hand implement carrying thread



Patented Jan. l7, I899.

E RUFF HAND IMPLEMENT CARRYING THREAD.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

ELI RUFF, or REDOAK, IOWA.

HAND IMPLEMENT CARRYING THREAD.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 617,970, datedJanuary 17, 1899.

Application filed November 15, 1898. Serial No. 696,554. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,,ELI RUFF, a citizen of the United States, residingatRed Oak, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hand Implements Carrying Thread;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hand implements carrying athread or twine wound upon a bobbin or spool from which the thread ortwine is unwound as needed, and has for its object to produce animplement having a maximum of simplicity in constrnction and consequentcheapness in manufacture, combined with a convenient degree ofefficiency in use.

My invention consists, primarily, in ahandle for such an implementembodying a new and convenient form and arrangement of bobbin or spoolfor the thread or twine, and, secondarily, in a peculiar'form of toolmade to fit such handle, the handle being so constructed as to receiveinterchangeable tools for various uses.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings,

' wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughoutthe several views.

Figure 1 represents a section taken through the handle of my tool, thetool itself being a peculiar form devised by me for use in budding orgrafting small fruit-trees and being shown in elevation, the sectionbeing taken on the lines 1 1 in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview taken on the line 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the tool-handle as seen from'the rightin Fig. 1, and Figs. 4 and 5 are views illustrating the use of a curvedsewing-awl' with my tool-handle.

A represents the body of the handle, which is providedwithatransverseopeningor chamber A for the bobbin or spool B, which carries thethreadyor twine C wound thereon. This bobbin or spool B is made of asolid piece of metal, having enlarged rounded ends B and fits snugly buteasily within the chamber A". One end of the chamber A is open, and thebobbin B is retained within the chamber by means of a plate D, of springmetal, pivoted at one end upon the outside of the handle by means of anail or screw d, passing through said plate and into the handle, thesaid plate being so bent as .to make frictional contact at its other endwith the outside of the handle upon the opposite side of the opening ofthe chamber A", as seen at d in Fig. 1, and the intermediate portion ofthe said platehaving a slight outward curve. The plate D normally exertsa slight frictional pressure upon the end of the bobbin, and thisfrictional pressure may be increased by pressure from the hand of theoperator to increase the tension upon the thread or twine C as it isdrawn from the bobbin, when desired, although the friction of the bobbinagainst the walls of the chamber A and against the normal pressure ofthe plate D will ordinarily be sufficient to create the necessary degreeof tension, except when the thread or twine is to be drawn taut withoutunwinding from the bobbin.

A longitudinal openinga from the center of the chamber A is formedtoward the tool end of the handle, through which the end of the threador twine is led to the tool, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner end of thisopening a where it communicates with the bobbin-chamber A beingenlarged, as shown ato and somewhat rounded to allow the thread or twineto unwind from the ends of the bobbin and to prevent the cuttingthereof.

The handle may be'provided with any suitable form of tool-holdingdevice, such as the a straight shank h, adapted to fit the chuck E onthe handle. The point of this tool is flat and widened and doublybeveled, forming cutting edges h and 7L3, and at one side edge, a shortdistance back of the cutting edge h, the tool is cut away and providedwith an internal cutting edge 7;. The outting edges h and h permit theoperator to make a cut by pressing upon the implement, as is customaryin making the necessary slit in the tree for the insertion of the bud,and the cutting edge It is convenient for use in making a draw out, asin severing the thread used in securing the bud in place, as will bereadily understood by any nurseryman. The tool H is provided with asmall opening near its point for the passage of the thread,which isthereby held in a convenient position to be wrapped about the tree andbud and drawn out as needed, the implement being all the while held inone hand of the operator,while the other hand is free to insert the budand wrap the thread in the usual manner.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated the adaptability of my tool-handlefor use with a sewing-aw], the thread being carried by the point of theawl and inserted through the piece of leather or other material in oneoperation. The awl I, having either a straight point or a curvedpoint,as shown, isprovided with an opening to near its point for the passageof the thread and with a groove longitudinally thereof communicatingwith said opening, within which the thread may lie and avoid becomingcut during the insertion of the awl.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I provide a simplehandle having a great variety of uses, and that I also provide a verycheap implement for use by nurserymen in budding and grafting whichpossesses great advantages over the implements now ordinarily in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a tool-handle of the character described, the combination with thebody of the handle having a transverse chamber therein for the bobbin,and a longitudinal opening leading from the said chamber toward the toolend of the handle, of a bobbin fitting bin fitting said chamber andarranged to ro-' tate in frictional contact with the walls ofsaidchamber; and a spring-plate pivotally mounted upon the side of thehandle, and arranged to swing over the end of the bobbin and bearthereon, substantially as described.

3. In a tool of the character described, the

combination with the handle having a bobbin-chamber thereinand anopening leading from said bobbin-chamber toward the tool end of saidhandle; of a toolhaving a fiattened point provided with a cutting edge,and having an opening near such point for the passage of a thread; abobbin, and means for increasing the tension on said bobbin,substantially as described.

4. In a tool of the character described, the combination with the handlehaving a bobbin-chamber therein and an opening leading from saidbobbin-chamber toward the tool end of said handle; of a tool having abarbed point provided with internal and external cutting edges, andhaving an opening near such point for the passage of a thread; a bobbinin said chamber, and means for retaining said bobbin therein,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELI RUFF.

Witnesses:

R. W. BIESON, WM. PLANCK.

